Central Asian Leaders head to Moscow for Victory Day Celebrations

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will take part in ceremonies marking the 81st anniversary of Victory Day in Moscow, according to statements released by the leaders’ press services.

Mirziyoyev departs for Moscow

The press service of the Uzbek president announced that Shavkat Mirziyoyev departed for Moscow on a working visit on May 8, 2026.

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev departed on a working visit to the city of Moscow on May 8, 2026.

The program of the visit includes participation in ceremonial events dedicated to the 81st anniversary of Victory in World War II, the statement said.

The announcement came after earlier reports from Gazeta.uz and Daryo, citing government sources, claimed that the Uzbek leader would not attend the parade in Moscow.

Kazakhstan confirms Participation

Participation by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was confirmed by his press secretary Aibek Smadiyarov through a statement published on Telegram.

According to Smadiyarov, Tokayev’s visit will also include a separate meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the two leaders are expected to discuss key issues of strategic cooperation.

The Kremlin expressed satisfaction with this decision by the Kazakh leader, describing his upcoming working visit to Moscow as a friendly step, Smadiyarov noted.

Foreign Leaders gather in Moscow

Earlier, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Moscow had not issued special invitations to foreign leaders for the Victory Day events.

According to him, several international leaders independently expressed a desire to visit the Russian capital during the commemorations.

Among those expected in Moscow are the leaders of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Belarus, and Laos, as well as the prime minister of Slovakia, the king of Malaysia, and the leadership of the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has already arrived in Moscow ahead of the celebrations.

Robert Fico arrives in Russia

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also arrived in Moscow for events connected with Victory Day, according to RIA Novosti. His aircraft landed in the Russian capital on May 8, 2026.

During the visit, Fico plans to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and hold talks with Vladimir Putin. However, he does not plan to attend the military parade on Red Square.

Slovak Foreign Ministry State Secretary Rastislav Chovanec previously stated that Fico would deliver a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Putin during the meeting.

At the beginning of April, Fico publicly confirmed his intention to travel to Russia for the May 9 commemorations. He was also among the foreign leaders who visited Moscow during Victory Day celebrations in 2025.

Because Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland denied overflight permission, Fico’s aircraft reportedly had to travel through the airspace of the Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden, and Finland in order to reach Russia.

Putin sends Victory Day Greetings

On May 8, Vladimir Putin sent congratulatory messages to the leaders and citizens of foreign states on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.